7.07.2010

The Gamblers

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Japan's iconic (and 2,000-year-old) sport of sumo has been hit hard by a scandal that has seen dozens of wrestlers admit to betting illegally on baseball and other activities.

The Japan Sumo Association has expelled ozeki (champion) Kotomitsuki from the sport, and police have arrested a member of an organized criminal gang accused of trying to extort over ¥100 million from Kotomitsuki in exchange for keeping quiet about the wrestler's gambling habit.

How did this happen? As you might expect, they start 'em young.

More detail from Justin McCurry, Tokyo-based correspondent for The Guardian, here and here.